All ice on these soldiers

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) jumping up from the snowy ground as part of their winter training, in minus 26 deg C, at China's border with Russia in Heihe, Heilongjiang province, on Monday.

Every winter, the PLA soldiers are trained in extremely harsh conditions to build up their discipline and endurance to the cold.

The training includes them crawling and running through the snow, pouring snow on their bodies and learning the art of sabre play.

The soldiers' training lasts through winter, when temperatures are known to drop to as low as minus 45 deg C.

The PLA is the world's largest military force, with close to 2.3 million personnel.

A few months ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that the army would cut 300,000 military personnel as part of an overhaul.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 17, 2015, with the headline 'All ice on these soldiers'. Print Edition | Subscribe

The Straits Times

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